Chair back construction



Jan. 16, 1951 E. B. MORGAN ET AL 2,533,733

CHAIR BACK CONSTRUCTION Filed June 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l Irving B. Morgan *J Foal-e VClay Jan. 16, 1951 E. B. MORGAN ET AL CHAIR BACK CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1948 gawk? valllllllfi=$ ylfllll grwe/wtm .Et'ding 'B.M0cgan 9 Royce 1V: Clay W Patented Jan. 16, 1951 CHAIR BACK CONSTRUCTION Erving B. Morgan and Royce W. Clay, Grand Rapids, Mich assignors to American Seating Gompany, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application J une.25, 1948, Serial No.. 35,168

The present invention relates to chairs and more particularly to chairs of the type used in theaters and auditoriums.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide an improved: chair back construction in which the ornamental, sheet metal panel for the upholstered chair back extends well below the back to provide a shield for the rear of the chair seat, thus to prevent an occupant of. a chair to the rear from placing his feet on said chair seat and soiling it, and. also to protect the feet of the occupant of the chair to the rear against becoming pinched between the chair back and the chair seat during lowering movement of said seat from a raised position of non-use to a lowered position for occupancy; and generally to provide such an improved chair back construction which is reasonably economical in manufacture and attractive in. appearance.

' These and any. other and more specific objects are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the chair structure hereinafter particularly described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings; wherein:

, Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a chair of the theater type;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same showing certain. parts thereof in section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1';

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of parts of the chair, shown partly in top plan and partly in oblique section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4. is an enlarged central vertical sectional View of the chair back and showing the fastening means for attaching the chair back to a supporting standard therefor, said standard being here shown fra gmentarily; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of certain parts of the chair back, the section being taken on line '5-5 of F gure 3.

. Referring now in detail to these drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the chair there shown is of the. theater type which chairs are generally mounted, in rows on spaced upright supporting standards H3. having arm rests ll thereon, A chair seat 12 is mounted on and be.- tween. spaced standards it in any known man- "ner as by means of arms 53 on opposite sides of the chair which are seated in sockets H! on the standards, and the chair seat is preferably turnable 0n the horizontal portions of the arms l3 to the lowered position. of occupancy Shown in full lines in Figure 2 and to araised position of. 11911" Claims. (01. 155-194) use indicated by dotted lines in the same view.

The chair back comprises a rearwardly bowed foundation panel 15 which may be fabricated from any suitable material such as plywood, solid wood, metal or plastic, over the forward surface of which panel is disposed suitable upholstering materials which may include springs but as here shown comprise a layer of hair or cotton padding l6 and an outer upholstery cover ll of fabric, leather or the like the marginal edges of which are drawn rearwardly around the foundaticn panel l5 and secured as by tacks l8 to the rear surface of said panel (see Figure 3). T"- nuts !9. are inserted in pairs of apertures 20. at the opposite sides of the foundation panel during the upholstering operation, and the heads of these T-nuts i9 bear against the front surface of the foundation panel to prevent the withdrawal of the T-nuts rearwardly through the apertures 20. Wing clips 2| are secured tothe rear surface of the foundation panel at 0pposite sides of said panel by means of bolts 22 which are inserted through apertures. in the. wing clips 21., through the upholstery cover [1, and threaded into the T-nuts It. The wing clips 2| have forwardly extending portions 23 by means of which the clips and the chair back are secured to the supporting standards Ill,

The chair back has an ornamental sheet metal back panel generally designated 24 which has. its upper arcuate edge 25 curled forwardly to. form a socket which embraces the upper edge of the upholstered chair back when these parts are assembled. The sheet metal back panel 24- is vertically elongated and laterally or rearwardly bowed thus forming forwardly extending attachment side Wings 26 which lie adjacent the wing clips forwardly extending portions 23. The as.- sembled chair back and ornamental. back panel are attached to. the supporting standards. L0 by fastening means comprising. lower screws 21 pass.- ing through aligned apertures. in the. forwardly extending side wings. 2.6 of the. back panel 24 and in the forwardly extending. portions 23 of the wing clips. 21, these lower screws 21 being threaded in the standards Ill, Upper screws. 28 secure the chair back and back panel to. the standards. it. in selectively inclined, position, said upper screws 25 being passed through a registering pair of apertures 29 in the opposite wing clips 2! and threaded in the standards. 19.. The apertures. 29 in the wing clips 2!. are arranged in arcs concentric with the lower attachment screws, 28 sov that after the, lower screws have been. placed, the back may be turned to. selected 3 incline and the upper attachment screws 28 then placed.

The ornamental sheet metal back panel 25 is rearwardly bowed substantially throughout its vertical length and is rearwardly bent intermediate its ends to thus form an upper portion 33 and a lower portion 3% which portions are angularly disposed to each other and this angular disposition is maximum at the longitudinal center of the panel, diminishing to zero at the sides of the panel. The upper portion as of the ornamental sheet metal panel Z i is upwardly-rearwardly inclined and lies adjacent the upwardlyrearwardly inclined upholstered chair back. The lower portion 3! of the panel 24 depends substantially vertically from the upper portion 56, rearwardly of the chair seat, so that the lower portion 3! forms a shield for the chair seat and also permits free turning movement of the seat. The metal which joins the upper and lower portions 36 and 3| of the back panel 2-1 is drawn rearwardly to form a laterally and substantially horizontally extending ridge 32 of substantial dimensions at the middle of the panel and fading out at the sides of the panel. the ridge 32 serves the threefold purpose of ornamenting the chair in a harmonious manner, of increasing the rigidity of the back panel, and of taking up the metal to a substantial degree in the center of the back panel 2 3 where the angle between the upper portion 38 and lower portion 3! is most acute and to a lessening degree toward the outer sides of the panel.

The edges of th lower portion 3! of the back panel 24 are preferably strengthened and made smooth by curling, as indicated at 33 in Figure 4. Rearwardly stamped embossings 34 at the opposite sides of the upper portion 30 of the back panel 24 further strengthen the panel and also serve to accommodate the heads of the bolts 22 which secure the wing clips 2! to the foundation panel l5 of the chair back.

It will thus be seen that a chair structure has been provided in which the chair seat is shielded from the occupant of a chair to the rear by means of a novel chair back construction and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that many details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A back panel for a chair structure comprising a vertically elongated sheet metal panel rearmediate its ends to thus form upper and lower I portions angularly disposed to each other, said angular disposition being maximum at the longitudinal center of the panel and diminishing to zero at the sides of the panel.

2. A back panel for a chair structure compris ing a vertically elongated sheet metal panel rearwardly bowed substantially throughout its length and provided with substantial y parallel side wings for attachment of the panel to the chair structure, said panel being rearwardly bent intermediate its'ends to thus form upper and lower portions angularly disposed to each other, said angular disposition being maximum at the longi-- tudinal center of the panel and diminishing to zero at the sides of the panel; and the metal of It will be seen that r 4 the panel joining the upper and lower portions thereof being drawn rearwardly to form a laterally extending ridge of substantial dimensions in the middle of the panel and fading out at the sides of the panel.

3. A chair back comprising: a rearwardly bowed sheet metal back panel having integrally formed upper and lower portions, the upper portion being inclined upwardly-rearwardly and the lower portion depending substantially vertically from the upper portion, the metal of the panel joining said upper and lower portions being drawn into a substantially horizontal ridge of substantial dimensions in the middle of the panel and fading out at the sides of the panel, and an upholstered cushion attached to the front surface of the upper portion of the panel.

4. A chair structure comprising: spaced standards; a chair seat mounted between said standards; a back panel attached at its opposite sides to the standards and having integrally formed rearwardly bowed upper and lower portions, said upper portion being inclined upwardly-rearwardly and said lower portion depending substantially vertically from the upper portion rearwardly of the seat; and a chair back mounted adjacent the front surface of said upper portion of the back panel.

5. A chair structure comprising: spaced standards; a chair seat mounted between said standards; a sheet metal back panel attached at its opposite sides to the standards and having integrally formed rearwardly bowed upper and lower portions, said upper portion being inclined upwardly-rearwardly and said lower portion depending substantially vertically from the upper portion rearwardly of the seat, and the metal of the panel joining the upper and lower portions thereof being drawn into a substantially horizontal ridge of substantial dimensions in the middle of the panel and fading out at the sides of the panel; and a chair back mounted adjacent the front surface of said upper portion of the back panel.

6. A chair structure comprising: spaced standards; a chair seat mounted between said standards; an integrally formed sheet metal back panel rearwardly bowed and provided with forwardly extending side wings for attachment of the panel to the standards and said panel having upper and lower portions, said upper portion being inclined upwardly-rearwardly and said lower portion depending substantially vertically from the upper portion rearwardly of the seat, and the metal of the panel joining the upper and lower portions thereof being rearwardly drawn into a substantially horizontal ridge of substantial dimensions in the middle of the panel and fading out at the sides of the panel; and a chair back mounted adjacent the front surface of said upper portion of the back panel.

7. A chair structure comprising: spaced standards; a chair seat mounted between said standards; an integrally formed sheet metal back panel rearwardly bowed and provided with forwardly extending side wings; forwardly extending wing clips secured to said side wings; fastening means for securingthe wing clips to the standards respectively; said back panel having upper and lower portions, said upper portion being inclined upwardly-rearwardly and said lower portion depending substantially vertically from the upper portion rearwardly of the seat, and the metal of the panel joining the upper and lower portions thereof being rearwardly drawn into a substan tially horizontal ridge of substantial dimensions in the middle of the panel and fading out at the sides of the panel; and a chair back mounted adjacent the front surface of said upper portion of the back panel.

8. A chair structure comprising: spaced standards; a chair seat mounted between said standards; an upholstered chair back; wing clips secured to the rearward surface of the chair back at opposite sides thereof and having forwardly extending portions; fastening means for securing the Wing clips to the standards respectively; a back panel having a socket at its upper edge embracing the upper edge of the chair back, said back panel having an upper portion lying adjacent the rear surface of the chair back and a lower portion depending from the upper portion rearwardly of the seat.

9. A chair structure comprising: spaced standards; a chair seat mounted between said standards; an upholstered chair back; wing clips secured to the rearward surface of the chair back at opposite sides thereof and having forwardly extending portions; fastening means for securing the wing clips to the standards respectively with the chair back in an upwardly-rearwardly inclined position; a back panel having a socket at its upper edge embracing the upper edge of the chair back, said back panel having an upwardlyrearwardly inclined upper portionlying adjacent the rear surface of the chair back and a lower portion depending substantially vertically from the upper portion rearwardly of the seat.

10. A back panel for a chair structure comprising a one-piece sheet metal panel formed in two curved sections intersecting each other and an embossed ridge of graduated cross-section at the intersection.

ERVING B. MORGAN. ROYCE W. CLAY.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lee Oct. 5, 1940 Number 

